IKEA Design FAIL….Verdana? Really?
Working in advertising, we are pretty aware of design. Design surrounds us and we can differentiate what is good and what may not be so good. Even though I am not a designer, I have many friends that are, and as someone who has reviewed countless portfolios as a creative recruiter, I am naturally drawn towards good, clean, design. A couple of weeks ago, there was an article that was passed around from Time magazine about IKEA’s change in typeface choice in their catalogs, advertising, and all materials – both printed and online. The change was to Verdana, a font that is a standard Microsoft font that was never intended for print use, and people were up in arms. When I posted the article to my Facebook wall, a mini-debate started and clearly divided the designers from the laypeople.
Some may argue that there are better things to get worked up about, but they miss the point entirely. IKEA is known as a brand that knows good design, and the baffling part of the equation is that they went from their custom version of Futura to something generic and cheap. While we all know that IKEA has “cheap” furniture, there was always that high standard of design that was an integral part of their core values as a brand. Stepping down to Verdana is taking that philosophy and essentially throwing it in the garbage. While I understand that it may be a pain in the ass to have different online and offline typefaces, many brands haven’t compromised their design standards in the process. One of my friends mentioned this particular point to me and said that seeing Verdana on a billboard is just not right, as it is unclear to read in that medium. My friend Sharon said it best:
“The fact that we do, and by “we” I mean Americans as a whole, accept and get over bad type and graphic design, means there will just be more of it.
The thing that really outrages me is those badly designed vinyl banner outdoor signs that every store has now, that are obviously not professionally designed. I don’t understand it, there are some things that smart people would never do themselves, like cater their own weddings, fix their own cars or other appliances, cut their own hair, wax their own bikini lines, but they have no problem designing their own signs or business cards just because they own a computer. I own a drill and a tool box but that doesn’t mean I should or can fix my car. Design to the average person gets no respect.”
Bottom line: design surrounds and affects us, all the time and everywhere.
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- Ikea Customers Outraged About Font Change (geeksugar.com)
- Design: Typography Fans Say Ikea Should Stick to Furniture (nytimes.com)
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